The present invention relates to a preexposure method and a preexposure apparatus for photosensitive films, wherein a film, which is wound and accommodated in a shield container such as a film cartridge or Patrone, is once drawn out to be exposed with a predetermined image, and then the film is rewound into the shield container.
It is known, for example, for a lens-equipped film that an image such as photograph, character, or letter is subjected to preexposure beforehand as a latent image on the film. This procedure is performed in order to prepare a photograph on which the preexposed image is combined with a part of a subject to be photographed with the lens-equipped film.
A variety of suggestions have been hitherto made concerning such a technique. Those known include, for example, a xe2x80x9cpreexposure method for photographic filmsxe2x80x9d disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 9-230448. In this conventional technique, at first, an aligned film strip is installed to a single use camera on which a shield mask is placed corresponding to an illustration portion. Exposure is performed by using the single use camera followed by development to form, on the aligned film strip, a transparent area corresponding to the shield portion of the shield mask and an opaque portion corresponding to the open portion.
Subsequently, the aligned film strip is charged in a copy camera. The illustration is arranged so that the illustration may be viewed through the transparent area. A photographing film strip is installed in the copy camera to photograph the illustration, followed by applying a development treatment. Thus, a manuscript film strip is obtained.
An unexposed film strip, which is charged on a film strip supply reel, is moved through a slot onto a winding reel. The slot comprises a contact base plate and an exposure plate. The unexposed film strip and the photographing film strip pass therethrough while allowing their surfaces to make contact with each other. During this process, a light source is turned on in a throttle. An image on the photographing film strip is recorded (subjected to preexposure) as a latent image on the unexposed film strip.
The conventional technique described above requires the operation to previously charge the unexposed film strip on the supply reel. Another operation is performed such that the unexposed film strip, which is fed from the supply reel, is wound around a winding reel, and then the unexposed film strip is wound and accommodated in a shield container such as a film cartridge or Patrone.
Therefore, dominant parts of the operation for forming the latent image on the unexposed film strip are performed manually. A problem is pointed out that it is not easy to realize the efficient entire operation and perform the operation automatically. Especially, in the case of the steps in which a large amount of lens-equipped films are produced, a considerable period of time is required for the preexposure operation, resulting in such an inconvenience that it is impossible to achieve any efficient operation for producing the lens-equipped film.
In the conventional technique described above, when the photographing film strip is prepared, the operation is performed to expose the photographing film strip with the illustration by photographing the illustration as an image for preexposure by using the copy camera. For this reason, a problem is pointed out that the entire operation for producing the photographing film strip is complicated and time-consuming.
In the conventional technique described above, the manuscript film strip is used to expose one unexposed film strip. For example, the film strip has twenty-four frames, and the manuscript is constructed to have a loop-shaped configuration (loop manuscript). The loop manuscript is placed with the film strip in the slot with their surfaces contacted with each other. In this state, the light source is turned on in the throttle, and thus the latent image is recorded on the unexposed film strip.
However, the loop manuscript is set to have a length corresponding to one individual of the unexposed film strip. Therefore, the loop manuscript contacts with the unexposed film strip for every one individual of the unexposed film strip. As a result, the following problems are pointed out. That is, the dust or the like tends to adhere to the loop manuscript with ease, the damage is apt to occur, and the durability is deteriorated.
Further, it is necessary to perform the position adjustment between the forward end of the loop manuscript and the unexposed film strip before starting the preexposure. It is required that the position adjustment operation is performed for even one individual of the unexposed film strip. For this reason, a problem arises that it is difficult to perform the preexposure treatment for the unexposed film strip continuously at a high speed.
The present invention has been made in order to solve such problems, an object of which is to provide a preexposure method and a preexposure apparatus for photosensitive films, which make it possible to preexpose the film with a desired image quickly and reliably, and achieve the entire automatic and efficient preexposure operation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a preexposure method and a preexposure apparatus for photosensitive films, which make it possible to efficiently record, on a preexposure manuscript, a high quality image for performing preexposure on a film, and perform the preexposure operation highly accurately.
In a preexposure method and a preexposure apparatus for photosensitive films according to the present invention, a shield container, in which a photosensitive film is wound and accommodated, is held. The photosensitive film is automatically drawn from the shield container, and then the photosensitive film and an exposure section are relatively positioned. Further, a predetermined portion of the photosensitive film is exposed with an image by the aid of the exposure section, and then the photosensitive film is automatically wound and accommodated in the shield container.
Accordingly, the operation is automatically performed until the photosensitive film is wound and accommodated in the shield container, after the photosensitive film is drawn from the shield container to preexpose the photosensitive film with the predetermined image. The entire preexposure operation for the photosensitive film is performed automatically and efficiently.
Further, the entire length of the photosensitive film is simultaneously exposed with the image in a state in which the surface of the photosensitive film disposed on a side opposite to the exposure surface is attracted and held over the entire length. Accordingly, it is possible to expose the photosensitive film with the desired image highly accurately at a high speed.
The photosensitive film is automatically drawn by a predetermined length from the shield container. The predetermined portion of the photosensitive film is exposed with the image. The foregoing steps are repeatedly performed for the entire photosensitive film. Accordingly, the preexposure operation is performed smoothly and reliably for a variety of photosensitive films having different numbers of frames. During this process, the photosensitive film is drawn by the predetermined length from the shield container. Even when the photosensitive film is lengthy, it is easy to respond to such a photosensitive film.
In the present invention, image data is prepared to form an image on a plurality of frames. The image data and a positioning reference are recorded on a sheet manuscript. Subsequently, the sheet manuscript is arranged in a processing mechanism on the basis of the positioning reference. The sheet manuscript is cut into manuscript segments having a predetermined number of frames. A positioning site is formed on the manuscript segment. A plurality of manuscript segments are aligned on a holder member on the basis of the positioning reference. Thus, a preexposure manuscript is prepared.
As described above, the image data is directly recorded on the sheet manuscript. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prepare the preexposure manuscript having the image of high purity and high image quality. Further, the image data and the positioning reference are directly recorded on the sheet manuscript. Therefore, the manuscript segment, on which the image is highly accurately arranged at the desired position, can be formed by the cutting on the basis of the positioning reference. Further, a plurality of manuscript segments can be aligned correctly with respect to the holder member on the basis of the positioning site formed on the manuscript segment. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently prepare the preexposure manuscript on which the high quality images are arranged at the desired positions highly accurately. Furthermore, it is possible to form the image with different designs for each of the frames.
The sheet manuscript is attracted and held on a placing base which constitutes a processing mechanism. The positioning reference of the sheet manuscript is allowed to coincide with an illumination light beam radiated from an illumination means provided for the placing base. Accordingly, the sheet manuscript is positioned highly accurately on the placing base. In this state, a second blade member is moved back and forth in accordance with the action of an actuator. The sheet manuscript is cut by the aid of the first blade member and a second blade member provided for the placing base. Accordingly, the manuscript segment having the high quality is obtained. The positioning site is formed on the manuscript segment highly accurately.
In the present invention, a plurality of holding means for holding the shield container are provided. An index table is provided to successively transport the shield container to a film supply station, a film-drawing station, an exposure station, a winding station, and a withdrawing station. Accordingly, the shield container is successively arranged corresponding to the respective stations in accordance with the transport action of the index table in a state in which the shield container is held by each holding means. Thus, the preexposure operation is performed in a divided manner. Accordingly, it is possible to continuously process especially a large number of shield containers. It is easy to realize the efficient entire preexposure operation for the photosensitive film.
The index table is provided with a plurality of film-holding sections for attracting and holding the photosensitive film drawn from the shield container. At least in the film-drawing station and the exposure station, the film-holding section is advanced in accordance with the action of a driving means. Thus, it is possible to attract and hold the photosensitive film reliably and highly accurately.
The photosensitive film is drawn over its entire length from the shield container held by the holding means. Accordingly, the entire structure is effectively miniaturized. Further, especially when the index table is used, it is easy to simplify the structure.
In the film-drawing station, the photosensitive film is drawn by a predetermined length by the aid of a drawing means. A holder member for holding the preexposure manuscript is moved in the drawing direction for the photosensitive film in synchronization with the drawing means. Every predetermined length of the photosensitive film is exposed with the image. Therefore, the photosensitive film and the preexposure manuscript are mutually positioned correctly. The entire length of the photosensitive film can be exposed with the desired image highly accurately.
In the present invention, a preexposure manuscript is prepared, which is constructed by a reversal film to be recorded with an image thereon and which has a length corresponding to a plurality of photosensitive films. The preexposure manuscript is formed to have a loop-shaped configuration, and it is arranged in an exposure section. Subsequently, in the exposure section, in a state in which a part of the photosensitive film is overlapped with a part of the preexposure manuscript, a predetermined portion of the photosensitive film is exposed with the image while allowing the preexposure manuscript to make circumscribing movement.
Accordingly, the plurality of photosensitive films can be continuously exposed with the image by the aid of the preexposure manuscript. It is easy to achieve a high speed of the preexposure treatment. Further, the adhesion of dust or the like and the occurrence of damage is effectively decreased, the durability is improved, and the highly accurate preexposure treatment is continuously performed, as compared with a case in which a preexposure manuscript set to have a length corresponding to one photosensitive film is used.
Further, the exposure section is provided with an exposure drum which is engaged with a part of the preexposure manuscript. The preexposure manuscript is allowed to run at a high speed in a circumscribing manner in accordance with the rotary action of the exposure drum. In this arrangement, the exposure drum is provided with a sprocket section which is rotated while making engagement with perforations of the preexposure manuscript and the photosensitive film, and a fixed aperture member which is exchangeable and which has an exposure window for regulating the exposure range of the preexposure manuscript. Therefore, the high speed preexposure treatment is performed highly accurately in a state in which the preexposure manuscript and the photosensitive film are allowed to make tight contact in a reliable manner. Further, the fixed aperture member is formed to be exchangeable. Therefore, for example, when the preexposure or the entire surface exposure is performed for the photosensitive film, it is possible to easily respond to a desired portion of the photosensitive film only by exchanging the fixed aperture member.
The exposure treatment is started by the exposure section after the adjustment of respective notches provided for the preexposure manuscript and the photosensitive film. Therefore, it is possible to perform the tight contact exposure at a high speed while making correct coincidence of the relative positions of the preexposure manuscript and the photosensitive film.
A manuscript design is prepared with digital data. The digital data is directly recorded on a reversal film to prepare a preexposure manuscript. Accordingly, it is possible to quickly prepare the preexposure manuscript having high quality. It is easy to achieve the efficient entire operation. Further, it is easy to form images having different designs for respective frames. It is easy to respond to animation as well. Thus, the versatility is improved.